This invention relates generally to tape cassettes and the like. In particular this invention presents an improved tape cassette wherein markings are affixed to the tape edge or tape reel face during manufacture of the loaded cassette.
Heretofore it has been difficult to determine when tape movement in a cassette occurs unless the diameter of the tape noticably changes. A noticable change in diameter requires approximately a dozen revolutions of the tape reel during which time, especially while recording, much information is lost.
Efforts to solve this problem have been made and are known in the art. These efforts primarily result in attaching turn indicators to recorder drive mechanisms and are relatively expensive compared to my invention.
A search of U.S. Patent Office records show certain prior art patents which while are anticipatory of the present invention, disclose representative examples of previous or known efforts to solve some of the problems associated with the art embodying this invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,943,879 and 3,810,246 to Stone And Beaumont show a system of tape marking which concerns itself with locating preselected portions of a prerecorded tape.
While I do not wish to minimize the inventiveness and efforts of the invention associated with the aforesaid prior patents, and while these people may be attempting to solve a problem that is similar to some of the problems solved by the present invention, it is worth mentioning some of the drawbacks of these inventions such that the size and diversity of markings renders it difficult to detect the marked portions of the tape without stopping the tape. Further, when stopped the tape markings will tend to blend with the general tape color and not be readily visible.